Chapter 201 Hopeless Struggle



"Get up!"

The nightmare around me began to blur into reality as a heavy kick landed on my ribcage.

"Ughh..."

I spat out a mouthful of blood, whilst flying through the air and crashing into the hard, marble wall.

'Fuck...'

Coughing, I lifted my drowsy eyes, assessing my current situation with a mix of confusion and anger.

However, the very next second, my memory caught up with me, flooding my mind with images of the gruesome events that had led to this moment.

My eyes instantly narrowed, locking onto a menacing figure standing before me.

"You're finally awake? I thought you died."

A Demon, a very powerful one was glaring at me with its piercing crimson eyes.

We were just a few feet apart and I could feel the seething energy emanating from its grotesque form.

It was an S Rank being, a creature of pure power.

If it wanted, the Demon could blast me away with a single flick of its finger.

However, for some reason, I was still alive.

"..."

Without speaking, I gathered every ounce of strength I had left and slowly pushed myself up from the ground.

I summoned my Authority, gripping its edge with trembling fingers.

Although this might as well be my last fight, I won't give up.

I will fight until I draw my last breath.

"Lower your weapon, I just want to talk."

The Demon spoke while looking at my weapon with a grin.

Swish...

However, I wasn't stupid enough to trust a Demon's word and bolted forward, swinging my blade in a wide arc.

"I guess you'll only hear me out when beaten to a pulp..."

Muttering something under his breath, the being used its tail to block my attack and swung its fist straight toward my face, causing my vision to blur for a second.

Pain coursed through my body as the Demon's fist connected with my face, sending me sprawling backward once again. My head throbbed, and I tasted blood in my mouth. I couldn't afford to let my guard down for even a second.

"Ready to talk?"

The Demon's laughter echoed through the chamber, a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. It seemed to be enjoying this one-sided battle, relishing the opportunity to toy with its prey.

I pushed myself up once more, my vision swimming. The room spun around me as I struggled to regain my balance. Each breath I took felt like fire in my lungs. But I couldn't give in to the pain, not now.

With a fierce determination, I lunged at the Demon once more, my blade slicing through the air. But the creature was too fast, sidestepping effortlessly and delivering a crushing blow to my back. I gasped for air, my ribs aching, but I refused to back down.

The fight raged on, a brutal dance of power and desperation. The Demon's fists were like battering rams, and I was their target. It seemed to take pleasure in testing the limits of my endurance, taunting me with each strike.

My inner thoughts were a whirlwind of anger, fear, and determination. I couldn't let this Demon defeat me. I couldn't allow it to win. My Authority pulsed with energy in my hand, a beacon of hope in the darkness.

As the battle continued, I found myself driven to the brink of exhaustion. I was battered and bruised, my body protesting every move I made. But I kept fighting, kept swinging my blade, and kept pushing forward.

The Demon, for all its power, seemed content with keeping me alive, avoiding fatal wounds and focusing on delivering painful blows. It was as if it wanted to break my spirit before finishing me off.

Each clash with the Demon was a test of my resolve. Each punch and kick sent shockwaves of pain through my body, but I refused to yield. My determination burned brighter than ever.

Time lost all meaning as the battle raged on, the room becoming a blur of motion and violence. But I knew that I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed to find an opening, a weakness in the Demon's defenses.

As I dodged another of the Demon's strikes, a plan began to form in my mind. It was a desperate gambit, but it was my only chance. I would have to wait for the perfect moment to strike, to catch the Demon off guard.

For now, I continued to dance on the precipice of defeat, my every move a struggle against the overwhelming power of the S Rank Demon.

The battle raged on, an unrelenting storm of fists, claws, and steel. My world had narrowed down to the immediate vicinity of the Demon and me. The walls, the marble floor, the distant echoes of our struggle - they were all distant memories, eclipsed by the searing intensity of this life-or-death duel.

The Demon's movements were fluid and precise, like a deadly predator toying with its prey. It attacked relentlessly, each strike accompanied by a sadistic grin, as if savoring the taste of my suffering.

I dodged and weaved, doing my best to parry the monstrous blows. Every impact sent tremors through my body, my bones creaking in protest. My vision blurred from the constant barrage, but I couldn't afford to let it deter me.

"Is this all you've got?"

The Demon taunted between punches.

"I expected more of a challenge."n0veLusb.c0m

The words stung, fueling my determination. I couldn't let this creature's arrogance go unanswered. With gritted teeth, I launched a counterattack, my blade slashing toward the Demon's side. But it sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a punishing backhand that sent me crashing into a pillar.

My body ached, and my limbs felt heavy as I pulled myself up. Blood trickled from a cut on my forehead, mixing with the sweat on my face. I could taste the metallic tang of defeat in the back of my throat, but I couldn't let it consume me.

Every clash with the Demon felt like a symphony of agony. Its fists were like sledgehammers, each strike threatening to shatter bone and spirit. I blocked and parried as best I could, but it was a relentless onslaught, a hurricane of violence.

I could feel the Demon's laughter echoing in the chamber, mocking my feeble attempts to resist. It reveled in the one-sided nature of the battle, taking pleasure in my suffering. But I refused to give it the satisfaction of breaking me.

As the minutes dragged on, I became acutely aware of my dwindling strength. My arms trembled with fatigue, and my legs felt like lead. But I had to hang on, had to find that opening, that one chance to turn the tide.

The Demon's attacks came faster and harder, pushing me to the brink. It was as if it could sense my desperation, feeding off it like a malevolent parasite. I had to be patient, I had to wait for that perfect moment.

Then, as if the fates had finally smiled upon me, I saw it - a split-second hesitation in the Demon's eyes. A flicker of doubt, of vulnerability. It was all I needed.

With every ounce of strength left in me, I launched myself at the Demon, my blade aimed at its heart.

Maybe... I could kill it?

For a moment, I believed I had succeeded, however, the next second, my hopes were shattered into a million pieces.

As my blade sliced through the air toward the Demon's heart, I felt a surge of hope coursing through me. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for. But in the blink of an eye, the Demon's crimson eyes narrowed, and it raised a single, slender finger.

!!!

Time seemed to slow as that finger intercepted my blade effortlessly. The Demon's power was beyond anything I had ever encountered. It held my weapon at bay with a casual ease, as if I had swung a child's toy instead of a deadly weapon.

I strained against the resistance, pouring every ounce of my remaining strength into the futile attempt to break through the Demon's defenses. But it was in vain. My muscles screamed in protest, and beads of sweat dripped from my forehead as I pushed harder, but the Demon's single finger remained unyielding.

A twisted grin curled across the Demon's grotesque face as it toyed with me, savoring my helplessness. It was as if the very act of resistance amused it, a cruel game it enjoyed.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration and anger welling up within me.

With a sudden burst of desperation, I attempted to retract my blade and strike again, hoping to catch the Demon off guard.

But it was too quick, too cunning. With a flick of its finger, my weapon was sent spiraling out of my grasp, clattering to the ground.

I stood there, weaponless and vulnerable, gasping for breath as the Demon's mocking laughter echoed through the chamber. It had effortlessly disarmed me, stripping away my last line of defense.

"Ready to talk now?"

Smirking, the Demon spoke while clasping his hands together.